Steve Alexander

Waiver Wired

The Week's Top NBA Pickups

Kevin McHale is getting all kinds of props for guiding the Rockets to a 16-11record and three straight wins, the last two coming back-to-back and on the road at Portland and Phoenix. In reality, this is all good, but in fantasy, he’s causing some major headaches due to his random rotations and his love of his bench.

Kevin Martin has been put into the doghouse, and played just 15 & 13 minutes in his last two games. I have no idea if or when Martin is going to return to form, but McHale has said he’s going to reward the guys who actually earn minutes, and don’t just show up for work. Apparently Kev-Mart falls into the “just showing up” group, along with Samuel Dalembert. Heck, even Luis Scola got just 23 minutes on Thursday, less than five guys who came off the bench. And the fact they’re winning isn’t helping our cause. Kyle Lowry, Scola, Goran Dragic, Chase Budinger, Courtney Lee, Jordan Hill and Patrick Patterson are McHale’s guys right now, while Martin, Dalembert, and to some extent Chandler Parsons are struggling. I guess you have to bench Martin and Dalembert until they get back in McHale’s good graces again, while rolling the dice on the bench brigade will be tricky. Good luck, if you own any of these guys. And as tempting as it might be to cut Martin, you just can’t do it. Dalembert’s another story though, and has been slumping for nearly two weeks. If you can drop him for Chris Kaman, it makes sense.

Milwaukee, we have a logjam

Carlos Delfino blew up for 25 points, nine boards, four steals and six 3-pointers on Wednesday, while Stephen Jackson and Mike Dunleavy also played more than 30 minutes and posted solid numbers. I have no idea how Skiles will be able to continue to play them all 30 minutes a night, and the fact that he’s trying is likely the reason for Brandon Jennings’ slump. I’m fine with using any of these four players in fantasy right now, but just know that someone is going to take a serious hit soon. We just don’t know who it will be. Let’s see what happens on Friday night at Cleveland, but right now Jennings is a must-start, Delfino should be ridden while he’s hot, and Dunleavy and Jackson could also be solid options in most leagues. Just know that at least one of them is going to start struggling, and Scott Skiles won’t hesitate to ride the hot hands, whichever bodies they happen to be attached to.

Point Guards

Jason Kidd Mavs – I am not a Kidd fan, and am not rushing out to pick him up, but he’s available in nearly 60 percent of all leagues and is due back any day. If you need threes, steals and assists, go for it. Just be prepared for him to rarely score more than five points in a game, as well as be a serious injury risk. He can still play, but there’s a reason (or several of them) that he’s probably available in your league.

Ramon Sessions Cavs – Kyrie Irving’s concussion will keep him out over the weekend and leave his status in some doubt for next week, but Sessions is clearly a short-term add. He went off for 24 points and 13 dimes on Wednesday, and is owned in less than 20 percent of fantasy leagues. And if he happens to get traded to the Lakers or Miami, look out.

Goran Dragic Rockets – Dragic initially looked like a bust for those of us who picked him up and put him in lineups for Thursday’s game, as Kyle Lowry was able to play through his elbow injury. But Kevin McHale’s rotation and lineup, as documented above, is a train wreck, and Dragic came through with 11 points, four boards, 11 assists, two steals and a three last night, and could continue to get plenty of run regardless of the health of Lowry. And yes, this is bad news for Lowry, in case you were wondering.

Greivis Vasquez Hornets – I will be the first to admit that I dropped Vasquez in several leagues after Wednesday’s dud, when Jarrett Jack returned and pulled the sheet from under Vasquez and the roll he was on. But it was one game and he didn’t play well, hitting just 2-of-7 shots for five points and four dimes in 20 minutes. But there’s still a possibility of a timeshare here, and the Hornets just didn’t look great with Jack running the show coming off a knee injury. I still think Jack is the guy to own here, but if you’ve got Vasquez, or want to pick him up, it might be a good idea to sit on him for a few more games and see how this plays out. Coach Monty Williams isn’t exactly running a stable rotation in New Orleans, so anything’s possible. Update: Late news on Friday broke that Jarrett Jack is out, meaning Vasquez will start. The run is clearly not over.

Jameer Nelson Magic – Nelson is owned in less than 40 percent of ESPN leagues, but has scored 15 & 12 points in his two games since returning from a concussion. He also had 12 dimes in one of those games, and zero in the other. Yes, he has struggled this season, but you know he’s going to be out there with Dwight Howard every night and could finally be ready to get it going.

The Rest

Devin Harris & Earl Watson Jazz – The point guard situation in Utah has been a mess all year, but both of these guys should be watched closely from night-to-night, and I have still not given up on Harris, despite his awful season.

Steve Blake Lakers – He’s back from his rib injury and played 32 minutes on Thursday. He struggled, but once he’s back up to speed, could be a sneaky addition in deeper leagues if the minutes stick - and they should.

Houston, we have a (major) problem

Kevin McHale is getting all kinds of props for guiding the Rockets to a 16-11record and three straight wins, the last two coming back-to-back and on the road at Portland and Phoenix. In reality, this is all good, but in fantasy, he’s causing some major headaches due to his random rotations and his love of his bench.

Kevin Martin has been put into the doghouse, and played just 15 & 13 minutes in his last two games. I have no idea if or when Martin is going to return to form, but McHale has said he’s going to reward the guys who actually earn minutes, and don’t just show up for work. Apparently Kev-Mart falls into the “just showing up” group, along with Samuel Dalembert. Heck, even Luis Scola got just 23 minutes on Thursday, less than five guys who came off the bench. And the fact they’re winning isn’t helping our cause. Kyle Lowry, Scola, Goran Dragic, Chase Budinger, Courtney Lee, Jordan Hill and Patrick Patterson are McHale’s guys right now, while Martin, Dalembert, and to some extent Chandler Parsons are struggling. I guess you have to bench Martin and Dalembert until they get back in McHale’s good graces again, while rolling the dice on the bench brigade will be tricky. Good luck, if you own any of these guys. And as tempting as it might be to cut Martin, you just can’t do it. Dalembert’s another story though, and has been slumping for nearly two weeks. If you can drop him for Chris Kaman, it makes sense.

Milwaukee, we have a logjam

Carlos Delfino blew up for 25 points, nine boards, four steals and six 3-pointers on Wednesday, while Stephen Jackson and Mike Dunleavy also played more than 30 minutes and posted solid numbers. I have no idea how Skiles will be able to continue to play them all 30 minutes a night, and the fact that he’s trying is likely the reason for Brandon Jennings’ slump. I’m fine with using any of these four players in fantasy right now, but just know that someone is going to take a serious hit soon. We just don’t know who it will be. Let’s see what happens on Friday night at Cleveland, but right now Jennings is a must-start, Delfino should be ridden while he’s hot, and Dunleavy and Jackson could also be solid options in most leagues. Just know that at least one of them is going to start struggling, and Scott Skiles won’t hesitate to ride the hot hands, whichever bodies they happen to be attached to.

Point Guards

Jason Kidd Mavs – I am not a Kidd fan, and am not rushing out to pick him up, but he’s available in nearly 60 percent of all leagues and is due back any day. If you need threes, steals and assists, go for it. Just be prepared for him to rarely score more than five points in a game, as well as be a serious injury risk. He can still play, but there’s a reason (or several of them) that he’s probably available in your league.

Ramon Sessions Cavs – Kyrie Irving’s concussion will keep him out over the weekend and leave his status in some doubt for next week, but Sessions is clearly a short-term add. He went off for 24 points and 13 dimes on Wednesday, and is owned in less than 20 percent of fantasy leagues. And if he happens to get traded to the Lakers or Miami, look out.

Goran Dragic Rockets – Dragic initially looked like a bust for those of us who picked him up and put him in lineups for Thursday’s game, as Kyle Lowry was able to play through his elbow injury. But Kevin McHale’s rotation and lineup, as documented above, is a train wreck, and Dragic came through with 11 points, four boards, 11 assists, two steals and a three last night, and could continue to get plenty of run regardless of the health of Lowry. And yes, this is bad news for Lowry, in case you were wondering.

Greivis Vasquez Hornets – I will be the first to admit that I dropped Vasquez in several leagues after Wednesday’s dud, when Jarrett Jack returned and pulled the sheet from under Vasquez and the roll he was on. But it was one game and he didn’t play well, hitting just 2-of-7 shots for five points and four dimes in 20 minutes. But there’s still a possibility of a timeshare here, and the Hornets just didn’t look great with Jack running the show coming off a knee injury. I still think Jack is the guy to own here, but if you’ve got Vasquez, or want to pick him up, it might be a good idea to sit on him for a few more games and see how this plays out. Coach Monty Williams isn’t exactly running a stable rotation in New Orleans, so anything’s possible. Update: Late news on Friday broke that Jarrett Jack is out, meaning Vasquez will start. The run is clearly not over.

Jameer Nelson Magic – Nelson is owned in less than 40 percent of ESPN leagues, but has scored 15 & 12 points in his two games since returning from a concussion. He also had 12 dimes in one of those games, and zero in the other. Yes, he has struggled this season, but you know he’s going to be out there with Dwight Howard every night and could finally be ready to get it going.

The Rest

Devin Harris & Earl Watson Jazz – The point guard situation in Utah has been a mess all year, but both of these guys should be watched closely from night-to-night, and I have still not given up on Harris, despite his awful season.

Steve Blake Lakers – He’s back from his rib injury and played 32 minutes on Thursday. He struggled, but once he’s back up to speed, could be a sneaky addition in deeper leagues if the minutes stick - and they should.

Shooting Guards

Randy Foye Clippers – Foye started on Wednesday and had 15 points, two assists, a steal and a 3-pointer in the loss. That’s a pretty good start though, and it looks like he could keep the job all season, especially after reading this nonsense from Mo Williams (great column). Remarkably, Foye is still only owned in 11 percent of ESPN leagues, while Mo’s available in zero leagues.

MarShon Brooks Nets – Brooks could play on Friday night after missing seven straight games with a fractured toe and Achilles problem. He’s only owned in 20 percent of leagues out there right now, and looks like a must-add player to me. He’s averaging 15 points, four boards, a 3-pointer and a steal, and should move right back into the starting lineup upon his return.

Iman Shumpert & Landry Fields Knicks – Fields is probably owned in your league, but Shumpert may not be. Both are spending time at shooting guard and small forward with the loss of Carmelo Anthony, who should be out at least another week. It’s just one game, but Fields had 16 points and eight boards in Wednesday’s win at Washington, while Shumpert had 17 points, four rebounds, three steals and a 3-pointer. Shumpert wasn’t great at point guard for the Knicks, but could be a much better fantasy option coming off the bench and playing off the ball at several positions.

J.R. Smith (and Wilson Chandler) – News is breaking on Friday afternoon that Chandler’s Chinese team eliminated Smith’s from the playoffs, meaning Smith could be here shortly after his season ends on Feb. 15. The Knicks, Lakers, Clippers, Thunder and Timberwolves have all been mentioned as possible destinations, but it’s hard to tell fact from fiction right now. But it sounds like Smith will be here a lot sooner than Chandler will be, as he’ll have to stick around for the playoffs. Just like every other year at this time, Smith will be a hot pickup, play inconsistently with some massive lines mixed in, end up in his coach’s doghouse, and then start the cycle all over again. If you’re desperate for a 3-point shooter, go ahead and stash him now. Chandler is expected to sign with the Nuggets as a restricted free agent, but it could get complicated with FIBA, his free agency status and the new CBA. Stay tuned.

Ben Gordon Pistons – Gordon quietly returned from a 10-game absence due to a shoulder injury and hit 6-of-7 shots for 14 points (no threes) on Wednesday. I don’t trust Gordon, but he was heating up just before going down and is worth a close eye in all leagues as he gets back into a flow. In the five games just before he went down, Gordon scored 14, 15, 18, 18 and 10 points, with eight threes and six steals to boot.

Hedo Turkoglu Magic –Turkoglu has been dropped by many owners during the horrendous slump he’s staggering through right now, but is still owned in eight out of 10 leagues. He’ll break out of the funk and go back to scoring, boarding, assisting and hitting threes, so just make sure he wasn’t dumped in your league.

Linas Kleiza (and Leandro Barbosa) Raptors - Jerryd Bayless is down after aggravating his constantly injured left ankle and could miss Friday’s game. And since it’s still not fully healed, it could be a problem all season. In addition to Jose Calderon getting a boost, Kleiza and Barbosa will see extra touches and minutes. Kleiza had 30 points and a fat line on Monday and backed it up with 12 points and eight boards on Wednesday. He’s heating up and worth a look in all leagues. Barbosa is coming off a bout with the flu and has lost some of his mojo, but is worth keeping an eye on if Bayless is going to miss time.

Steve Novak Knicks – Like Jeremy Lin (and so unlike him), Novak has exploded on the scene for the Knicks, scoring 19 points in two straight games, shooting lights out, and canning 10-of-17 3-pointers in them. Carmelo Anthony is likely going to miss another week and if you’re team is struggling from downtown, Novak could be the answer. He’s still available in almost all leagues, mainly because there’s no way he’ll continue to shoot it this well, and the fact that he is Steve Novak, but taking a flier on him makes sense in the right situation.

Reggie Williams & Corey Maggette Bobcats – Maggette is expected to get some minutes on Friday as he works his way back from a hamstring injury, which could be a real buzzkill for the new owners of Williams. Williams has scored 21 in two straight starts, averaging 5.0 boards, 5.5 assists and 2.0 3-pointers in them. I don’t expect Maggette to stay healthy for long, and am not rushing to pick him up. I suspect he’ll come off the bench, but he’s at least worth keeping an eye on once he’s back. And if you own Williams, or want to pick him up, it still makes sense for as long as Gerald Henderson is out (which is at least a couple more weeks).

Grant Hill Suns – I don’t really trust Hill and the fact his game schedule is nuts for the next 10 days could mean he’ll miss a couple. The Suns play on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday starting this Monday, which means Hill has a five-game week. He’s averaging 12 points, five boards, 4.5 assists and a steal over his last two games, but was struggling before that with a sore knee. If he can somehow make it through those five games in the upcoming week he could make for a nice add in deeper leagues.

Power Forwards

Channing Frye Suns – Frye blew up on Thursday for 21 points, 10 boards, two steals, two blocks, a monster dunk and four 3-pointers, and is averaging 13 points, six boards, 1.6 blocks and 1.8 3-pointers over his last five. He’s owned in just 64 percent of ESPN leagues and with five games in the upcoming week, should be the hottest pickup in fantasy leagues right now. Go get him, as the slump appears to be over.

Jonas Jerebko Pistons – I really have a feeling that Jerebko could be about ready to replace Jason Maxiell as the Pistons’ starting power forward, but even if it doesn’t happen, he’s hot, averaging 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.8 blocks and 0.6 threes over his last five games. He’s hit double figures in four of his last five games and is finally over his Achilles injury. The Pistons have four games next week and Jerebko should be a solid add if you need a PF.

Trevor Booker Wizards – Booker is starting over Jan Vesely while Andray Blatche is out with a calf injury, and is playing well. He’s averaging 12 points, six boards and nearly two blocks over his last five games and the Wizards go four times next week. If you’re scared of Jerebko, picking up Booker looks like a safe bet.

Jason Thompson Kings – Thompson came into the week hot with three straight double-doubles, then completely disappeared for a couple games before bouncing back Thursday night with 11 points and 10 boards in 30 minutes. I like him better than Chuck Hayes and if he double-doubles again on Saturday, I think he looks like a decent four-game option next week.

Kenneth Faried Nuggets – Faried is a deep-league special after starting for the Nuggets on Thursday, when he had eight points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. However, he didn’t even play in his previous game, and whether he remains a starter is questionable. But if your waiver wire is bare and you need a burly rebounder, Faried is worth a look.

The Rest

Patrick Patterson Rockets – Patterson is getting a lot of minutes and averaging 11 points, six boards and a block over his last five games. McHale likes him better than Samuel Dalembert right now.

Zach Randolph Grizzlies – Randolph is getting closer, but we still don’t know when he’s due to play. If you have room to stash him, now is probably the right time to grab him.

Ersan Ilyasova Bucks – Missed his last game with back spasms, but is averaging 10 points, 11 boards and nearly a block over his last four. He had 17 points, 12 boards, two blocks and a 3-pointer in his last game, and could be a sneaky add if he’s healthy. And it sounds like there’s a decent chance he’ll play against the Cavs on Friday night.

Gustavo Ayon Hornets – Ayon is starting for the banged up Hornets, averaging five points, five boards, a steal and a block over his last five games, making him a possible deep-league special.

Centers

Nikola Pekovic Wolves – Pekovic was last week’s pickup of the week and responded by simply going off for the Wolves. He’s averaging 17 points, 10 boards, a steal and 0.6 blocks over his last five and appears to have locked down the starting job over Darko. He should be owned in all leagues, but is still available in more than 20 percent of fantasy leagues.

Chris Kaman Hornets – Kaman has been pulled off the trading block and is playing pretty well, averaging 13.5 points, 10.5 boards and 2.5 blocks in his two games since returning from exile. If you need a big man, you could certainly do worse, and he’s still available in more than 30 percent of fantasy leagues.

Brook Lopez Nets – Lopez took part in part of the Nets shootaround on Friday but there’s still no target date on his return. He’s owned in just over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and now feels like the right time to move on him, if you’ve got an open roster or bench spot.

Ekpe Udoh Warriors – Udoh isn’t scoring, but is getting minutes for the Warriors and has 14 blocks in his last five games. If you’re hurting for blocks, he might be the best option out there.

Bismack Biyombo Bobcats – Biyombo is a bit of an inconsistent mess for the Bobcats. But he’s been starting and had 11 points, 12 boards, a steal and two blocks on Saturday, but hasn’t done much of anything in his other four games of his last five. If you need blocks, or are looking for a player who can break out a bit in the second half, he’s worth a look. I wouldn’t recommend adding him in points leagues though, as he won’t score enough to have value.

As if it hasn’t already, the Jeremy Lin hysteria is about to hit a fever pitch on Friday night when Lin’s Knicks host Kobe Bryant and the Lakers at the Garden. That place is going to be rocking and my buddy and fantasy competitor David Chang, celebrity chef and owner of Momofuku restaurants, will be in attendance. Perhaps no one is as big a Lin fan as Chang, but I somehow got Lin off the wire before he could get to him. Chang was quoted in the New York Times on Thursday, saying that Lin’s emergence has been “the most important event for Asian-Americans in sports history,” and he agreed to expand on those thoughts for me to print here, since Lin is not only the talk of New York, but the NBA right now. We play in both a fantasy hoops and baseball league run by Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus, and are in negotiations on a mythical deal that would send Jason Heyward to me in exchange for Lin in the first ever cross-sport fantasy trade.

Here we go.

"I'm about to freaking cry watching this guy," is what my buddy said about Jeremy Lin as we watched the Knicks take out the Bullets (Wizards) on Wednesday. I'm prone to hyperbole, but I believe Lin is as close to Fernandomania as we will ever get for Asian-Americans. Strip away race and that he bleeds crimson...what matters is that he is a shining example of what makes sports wonderful. Mike D'Antoni likened Lin to Secretariat, but I’m thinking he’s more Seabiscuit - the scrappy, resilient underdog that makes stuff happen, no excuses, and is accountable for his actions.

Let’s take a look at the most notable Asian-American athletes that have come along before Lin. I'm sure I'm missing some, but here’s my list. NFL players Haruki Nakamura, Kailee Wong, Scott Fujita and Patrick Chung don't count because they broke my heart. Manny Pacquiao may be the best pound-for-pound, but is also not on my list. Eugene Chung, a first-round draft pick by the Pats, was a 6'6” 330-pound monster, but also a bust. Another Hokie bust was Ed Wang.

In what I like to call the genetic glandular anomalies, I always wondered why every Asian NBA player had to be seven-feet tall? Wang Zhizhi is probably my favorite giant. Yao Ming was bred to be an NBA superstar, but at 7'6”, even Shawn Bradley had a longer career. Yao was awesome, but how could he inspire any normal-sized kid to play like him? I had massive hopes for Yi Jianlian, especially since he was last seen playing for the Bullets (Wizards). He is also a seven-foot giant, but has speed, quickness and raw talent – like the Tony Mandarich of the NBA. And then there’s Seung-Jin Ha - A Yonsei University product that played like two games in the NBA. Sun Yue was the shortest of the group and was like 6'5” when he was just 18. I thought he was going to be a nasty combo-guard for the Lakers, but no bueno.

While there were plenty of disappointments, there have been some success stories as well. There’s tennis phenom Michael Chang, who was amazing in the Finals of the French Open, but had just one Grand Slam title, which he won when he was just 17. I remember watching that match early in the morning in 1989 when I was a kid and seeing my parents whooping it up, and it made me strangely curious as to what was going on. But he wasn't McEnroe in the end, and well, I'm just biased. Chang wasn't going to be the Fernando Venezuela of tennis.

Back to the NFL, Dat Nguyen actually exceeded expectations for the Cowboys. I hate Dallas, but had to root for them when Nguyen played. Surprisingly, the NHL has also incubated some good hockey players. Richard Park had a nice run, and I’d watch games with my dad when he’s playing. Even back when Jim Paek was like a fourth-line defenseman for the Penguins, we would watch them beat the Caps in the playoffs.

Anyway, I've always maintained that one day it was going to happen in the NBA, the sport where I feel the best athletes in the world play. I just never dreamed it was going to be Jeremy Lin who would turn real life into fantasy basketball. I thought Golden State signed him as a marketing gimmick. And when Doc signed him off waivers in our league, I was crushed. But that's why Doc is God when it comes to the NBA. It's only been three games, but Lin has already changed the world.

Steve "Dr. A" Alexander is the senior editor for the NBA for Rotoworld.com and a contributor to NBCSports.com. The 2014-15 NBA season marks his 13th year of covering fantasy hoops for Rotoworld. Follow him on Twitter - @Docktora.Email :Steve Alexander